Renan Barao Vs. Mitch Gagnon Full Fight Video Highlights

Looking to rebound from a year that saw him lose his title to T.J. Dillashaw in a shocking upset at UFC 173 and fail to make weight for the rematch, Renan Barao needed a definitive win over Mitch Gagnon in the co-main event of last night’s (Sat., December 20, 2014) UFC Fight Night 58 from Barueri, Brazil.

However, it didn’t come without a decent amount of resistance.

Gagnon jumped into the pocket aggressively and nailed Barao with a bevy of hooks. “The Baron” didn’t get started quite as fast as he did during his dominant run to the belt, but he was able to rock Gagnon with a huge left and batter him with some lethal low kicks.

Gagnon seemed to tire as the fight wore on, going for some sloppy and unsuccessful takedowns on the fence only to be restarted. Barao took advantage by reversing position on the ground, locking on one of his signature arm-triangle chokes to earn his seventh UFC/WEC finish and solidify his spot among the very best bantamweights in the world.

Barao certainly wants his revenge on Dillashaw, but he’ll most likely have to wait until “The Viper” dukes it out with the resurgent Dominick Cruz. In the meantime, he’ll just have to enjoy the fruits of his victory, but he can’t get too complacent. Many thought Barao was a step slower than before, and his striking defense left much to be desired.

Check out the highlights of Barao’s win over Gagnon and decide for yourself:

Photo Credit: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports